Major League Baseball

Padres, Kennedy get past Giants 4-1

Published Sep. 3, 2013 1:21 a.m. ET

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A 21-game winner only two years ago, Ian Kennedy is starting to look more like his old self. That's he doing it in San Diego has been a plus for the Padres.

''Maybe I just needed a little change of scenery,'' said Kennedy, acquired in a trade from Arizona on July 31. ''The coaching staff, the players, everyone has just made it really easy on me to feel comfortable.''

Kennedy beat an NL West opponent for the first time in 12 starts this season, pitching the Padres past the San Francisco Giants 4-1 Monday.

Kennedy (6-9) gave up one run and five hits over six innings while striking out seven. He is 3-1 with a 4.04 ERA since arriving in San Diego.

The right-hander improved to 1-5 with a 4.97 ERA in his starts against NL West teams this year.

Huston Street worked a spotless ninth to earn his 26th save in 27 chances as the Padres snapped a three-game losing streak.

''I felt like I could throw my fastball when I wanted to and when you work off that, that is how you have successful games,'' Kennedy said.

Padres manager Bud Black noted that Kennedy's strikes seldom got too much of the plate.

''He got some fastballs in good spots and that was the key in a couple of big situations,'' Black said. ''He had the fastball at the top of the zone and the fastball into the lefties, and the fastball away from them, too. His fastball was around the zone and that was what he had going today.''

''The changeup and curveball came into play, but not as much as we've seen him use it in other games. When he needed to throw a strike he did. When he needed an out, he got one.''

Barry Zito (4-11) lost his eighth straight decision. He has won only once in his last 20 starts.

Zito was pulled after four innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits and three walks. He fell to 0-9 with a 10.00 ERA in his last 11 starts away from AT&T Park.

''It's hard to narrow it down to one thing,'' Zito said of his road woes. ''Normally the splits aren't really that bad in one direction.''

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Zito started well, then lost his command.

''He threw well in the first inning,'' Bochy said. ''Then he had trouble finding the strike zone there and that caused all the problems. That's what did him in.''

Kennedy drew one of Zito's three walks in the second. Ronny Cedeno hit an RBI single and Chris Denorfia singled home two runs.

Nick Hundley hit his career-high 11th home run in the fourth when Zito elevated an 80 mph slider.

''He didn't get it to where he wanted to,'' said Hundley, who stroked his third career home run off of Zito, his most against any pitcher. ''You don't want to miss those kind of mistakes because you don't get them very often.''

The Giants scored in the fifth on Brandon Belt's double. With runners on second and third, Buster Posey hit a two-out liner that third baseman Logan Forsythe reached high to snag.

In the eighth, the Giants had the tying run at the plate, but Sandoval and Crawford failed to produce against reliever Luke Gregerson.

''That was a little tap dance there, no doubt,'' Black said of Gregerson's performance. ''Sandoval is always a tough out, no matter how he is swinging or what the numbers are. Luke threw him an offspeed pitch and he had a big swing and it only went a couple feet. That was great.''

NOTES: Bochy said RHP Matt Cain will start Saturday against the Rockies after he threw a 90-pitch bullpen session on Monday. Cain has been on the DL with a bruised right forearm. ... LHP Jeremy Affeldt was to throw in a simulated game on Tuesday and Bochy said the team will determine his path after that. Affeldt has missed 41 games with a left groin strain. ... Padres 1B Yonder Alonso will undergo a MRI exam Tuesday on his ailing right hand. ... Padres 3B Chase Headley remains out of the lineup with a sore back. ... The Padres recalled RHP Burch Smith from Triple-A Tucson.

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